Redcar pier survived numerous batterings in the early 1900s, when its 1300ft (396m) position out to sea caught many a ship by surprise, but it could not recover from the literal decline it suffered after World War II, when it shrank to a mere 80ft (24m).

Historian Paul Delplanque, who writes a nostalgia feature in Teesside's Evening Gazette, said: "Parts of it were blown up during the war and in the years that followed there wasn't the inclination or the money to put it back together.

"It was eventually demolished in 1980, haven also fallen foul of the package holiday and was pretty derelict. It would have cost £180,000 to repair or £30,000 to demolish. Like others before it, the pier had to go."

Redcar pier is just one of many which suffered during the 1960s and 70s when the package holiday was born and many seaside towns fell into a steady state of decline, taking their pier with them.

Ravaged figure

Piers are at the mercy of the elements and in recent years, a number have been devastated by major fires.

Brighton pier remains a popular attraction, but its neighbouring West pier, which has suffered fire and storms, cuts a lonely ravaged and derelict figure in the sea.

Weston-Super-Mare's Grand pier has reopened after it was destroyed by fire in 2008

Weston-Super-Mare's Grand pier has reopened after it was destroyed by fire in 2008

But the resurgence is under way and it would appear the public's love of them never died in the first place.

Retired couple Nanette and Jim McKenna, from Southport, are rediscovering more of the English seaside.

Sitting on Brighton pier, Mr McKenna said: "I think piers are popular because people like the idea of being in the water, but they don't want to get their feet wet - they can just be above it.

"Southport is wonderful and we have a superb pier that's actually a little longer than Brighton, but it's a place for retired people, whereas Blackpool and Brighton are for the young."

Anthony Wills, from the National Piers Society, which preserves the heritage of piers and promotes them, said the nation holds them in great affection.

"Piers are about having fun, from admiring the architecture and heritage at places like Clevedon, to your 'candy floss' piers such as Brighton, Blackpool and Bournemouth with their slot machines and rides - opposite ends of the spectrum," he said.

"People are very fond of them, they are iconic and there are very few elsewhere in the world."